Hungary tests Sidewinder missiles on Gripen
It was the PUMA Squadron, from the Hungarian Air Force Kecskemét Air Base, which flew into Vidsel with six Gripen fighter aircraft during the second week in June. The purpose of the week long visit was to verify the Sidewinder missile system, known as Robot 74 in Sweden, for the Hungarian version of the Gripen fighter.
The trials, which involved live firings carried out against manoeuvrable towed targets, took place during two aircraft runs with four planned missile firings on each run.
“The trials results were very successful. Together with the customer, we carried out two aircraft runs with a total of six Sidewinder firings in a single afternoon. This is something we have never achieved before,” says test site director Laci Bonivart.
Hungary is the third European country, after Sweden and the Czech Republic, and the second NATO country to operate Gripen. The Hungarian Air Force operates the latest C/D versions of the new generation Gripen system fighter.
The original leasing agreement with Hungary was signed in December 2001 and covered the leasing of 14 A/B version Gripen aircraft. In February 2003, a supplementary agreement was signed which meant that Hungary, on the expiry of the leasing period (2006-2016), would have bought the aircraft. The supplementary agreement also entailed changing the aircraft to the C/D version. FMV delivered the first Gripen aircraft to Hungary in March 2006 and delivery of the final aircraft took place in December 2007.
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